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Live: World Cup opening ceremony

After what has seemed like a lifetime of waiting, it's finally here. Well sort of..

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:06:31 PM

The Rugby World Cup is less than 60 minutes away from kicking off and we are up bright and early to bring you all the best bits from the opening ceremony, which has just got underway.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:07:15 PM

The ceremony kicks off (pun intended) with a young William Webb Ellis picking up and running with the ball during a football game. He runs past two workers (played by Prince Harry and Jonny Wilkinson), ''It will never catch on' quips 'Arry. The clip ends with the boy kicking the ball into Wembley Stadium. And boom firweworks, we are at Twickenham.

A big rugby ball is being pulled apart in the middle of the field, the kid playing William Webb Ellis runs on the field, and he climbs up a pole to grab...the William Webb Ellis trophy!

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:12:53 PM

The World in Union (the official Rugby World Cup song avaliable on iTunes now) is being sung as young William placed the trophy on a stage.

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:13:48 PM

It's Prince Harry!

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:14:08 PM

Opening ceremony's are difficult events to describe in a live blog. But in the last 60 seconds we have seen what appeared to be camouflaged footballers, a Karate kid/ Ninja wearing a skull and cross bones patch, some beautiful woman singing and a whole lot of fireworks. Now for some speeches.

Now some dirty rugby players are pulling some ropes and lifting some big stone blocks.

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:19:34 PM

The stone blocks reveal the logos of Fiji and England.

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:19:51 PM

And just like that, the opening ceremony appears to be over. Hundreds of ground staff quickly shuffle to remove all the props, the crowd break into a rendition of Swing Low Sweet Chariot and it's time to get on with the rugby.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:21:07 PM

Marks out of 10 for the opening ceremony Cam?

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:21:18 PM

Well the last one had dancing forklifts, I didn't see anything out there today that matched that. I give it a solid 7.

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:24:05 PM

Harry and the whiskers?.. Is he pulling for Canada?

by Kiwi Barb9/18/2015 6:30:42 PM

So, time to turn our attention to the opening match of the tournament between England and Fiji.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:33:30 PM

Pool A is easily the hardest pool in the tournament. Not only does it contain the hosts and a team ranked 9th in the world, it also has the pedigree and talents of a two-time winner of the World Cup and the team ranked second in the world (Australia) as well as the team ranked fifth in Wales. (There is also Uruguay but as well as they did to beat Russia over two legs and get here, a squad packed with amateurs should not cause the four aforementioned nations too much trouble.)

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:34:10 PM

Fiji have played six matches since the turn of the year and they are unbeaten in the last five of them – the only defeat coming against New Zealand Maori. And it was only last month that they won the Pacific Nations Cup for the third time.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:34:33 PM

They also have Leone Nakarawa. Nakarawa, in case you didn’t know, is the lock who was locked up in military prison and was only let out after he led the Fijian army team to a play-off victory. He is also the man with the ability to break lines and offload like few others in his position.

We are just 20 minutes out from kick off now and the newsroom is humming. Well, not really. It's 6.41am on Saturday morning in New Zealand and I am joined by my trusty side kicks Cameron McMillan and Niall Anderson. We will also be on board to live blog the All Blacks opener against Argentina at 3.45am on Monday morning so, if you like what you're seeing, make sure to tune back in then.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:42:48 PM

Herald rugby reporter Patrick McKendry at Twickenham: 'Pretty impressive opening ceremony I thought. Slight downer now it's tidy up time but show was short and sweet'.

by Cameron McMillan9/18/2015 6:45:05 PM

If you want to get involved with the blog click 'comment now' and share your views. Got a question about today's game or the tournament? Fire away.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:45:44 PM

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:46:38 PM

One punter is very confident Fiji will win tonight. He has put $1000 on Fiji to win by 13 points or over which is paying $81-1 and would return $81,000.

The New Zealand HeraldThe rugby World Cup is a time of earning for many serious sports punters who crunch the numbers, research the teams, calculate the correct odds and attempt to beat the bookies over - New Zealand Herald

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:48:23 PM

As well as Nemani Nadolo, there are several other Fijian players with a New Zealand connection. Dominiko Waqaniburotu played for Waikato, Nemia Kenatale and Talemaitoga Tuapati for Southland, while Asaeli Tikoirotuma played on the wing for the Chiefs. First-five Ben Volavola is heading to the Crusaders next season as well.

by Niall Anderson9/18/2015 6:49:49 PM

What's that? You feel this blog is lacking in pre-match stats? All right then, try these on for size:

* These sides have met five times in Test rugby, with England winning by at least 13 points on each occasion.* This will be the second time England have featured in the opening game of a World Cup after they played in the first game of the 1991 edition, losing on that occasion to New Zealand.* England lost their first ever Rugby World Cup game in 1987 (v Australia) and their opening game in 1991 (v New Zealand) but have won their first fixture in each of the five World Cups since then.* Fiji have won their opening game at the last two World Cups and have won four of their six openers in total.* England have scored a try in each of their last five World Cup games, but have never managed a try in six consecutive games in the competition.* England are on a run of seven straight victories at Twickenham, their best run of its kind since a run of 22 home wins between 1999 and 2003, with their last game of this run coming just prior to the 2003 World Cup in Australia which they eventually won.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:53:52 PM

England are counting on youth to win them this World Cup on home soil, having the youngest side in the Cup with an average age of 26.2 (Fiji are fifth, at 28.4). They are an inexperienced lot too - just 761 caps between them. For context - the All Blacks have 1,484 caps, and even Uruguay have 833.

The two teams have just stepped out into the Wembley cauldron and the atmosphere is bubbling. A couple of Fiji players look a little nervous.

by Steven Holloway9/18/2015 6:57:31 PM

Anthem time now and the tears are flowing thick and fast for the Fijians. It's an incredibly emotional moment, the highlight of most careers, and five players had tears streaming down their face throughout the anthem.